About 89 percent of firms forecast the same level of increasing hiring of graduates this year. The study also found that enrollment in undergraduate and graduate accounting programs is the highest in the 40 years that the AICPA has conducted the survey.

The report found a 19.7-percent increase in the number of graduates compared to the previous survey. There were 82,177 accounting degrees awarded during the 2011-12 school year. The enrollment of 240,380 in accounting programs for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs are also all-time high levels.